Ralph Fiennes Is a War-Weary Odysseus in the Trailer for 'The Return'

Greek mythology retellings have exploded in popularity across the publishing world in recent years. From feminist reimaginings and queer explorations to graphic novels and literary fiction that uses specific moments from familiar epic tales as a jumping-off point for other stories, they're everywhere, both when it comes to bestseller lists and your local bookstore. But, for some reason, the rest of the entertainment world has been surprisingly slow to get on board with this trend. Whether that's because of the innate challenges involved in adapting the dense source material or because everyone assumes sword and sandal-style epics (outside of the Gladiator franchise) don't succeed at the multiplex is unclear. But the upcoming historical drama The Return is set to take its best shot at changing all that.

Based on Homer's epic poem The Odyssey, the film follows the story of the Greek hero Odysseus, who spent decades fighting alongside many of the most famous heroes of his age in the Trojan War. Though Odysseus himself plays a key role in the Greeks' victory --- thanks to coming up with that whole Trojan Horse thing --- The Return skips most of that stuff to focus instead on the fallout from his arduous return to Ithaca and the changes he discovers upon his return. 

Ralph Fiennes (Conclave) stars as a decidedly more haggard and careworn sort of Odysseus, a man who has faced many horrors and disappointments on his long journey back to his homeland. Juliette Binoche (The New Look) is Odysseus's long-suffering wife Penelope, who has not only been forced to hold Ithaca together in her husband's absence, but to find creative ways to fend off the horde of ambitious suitors seeking to claim the throne (and her body) for themselves

Here's the film's synopsis. 

After 20 years away, Odysseus washes up on the shores of Ithaca, haggard & unrecognizable. The King has returned from the Trojan War, but much has changed in his kingdom. His wife Penelope is a prisoner in her own home, hounded by suitors vying to be king. Their son Telemachus faces death at the hands of these suitors, who see him as merely an obstacle to their pursuit of the kingdom. Odysseus has also changed—scarred by his experience of the war, he is no longer the mighty warrior from years past— but he must rediscover his strength in order to win back all he has lost. 

The film, which marks the first time that former The English Patient co-stars Fiennes and Binoche have appeared onscreen together in 28 years, also stars Charlie Plummer (Moonfall) as Odysseus's son Telemachus. Other cast members include Marwan Kenzari (The Night Agent), Claudio Santamaria (Christian), and Ángela Molina (This One Summer). The film 

The Return is directed by Italian filmmaker Uberto Pasolini (Nowhere Special), who also co-wrote the movie with John Collee and Edward Bond. It is produced by Pasolini, James Clayton, Roberto Sessa, Konstantinos Kontovrakis, Stephane Moatti, Romain Le Grand, Vivien Aslanian, and Marco Pacchioni. 

The film had its world premiere during this year's Toronto International Film Festival in September, and will open in wide release on December 6.